February 11, 2013

The Bishop of Rome's retirement, the first in 600 or so years, reminds me of an old trivia question: Who was the first Roman Emperor to retire?

This emperor was one of the hard men from Southeastern Europe who used their military skills to rebuild the Roman Empire after the chaos of the Third Century. His retirement palace in Split, Croatia remains in good condition after 1700 years, full of shops and restaurants. It was largely forgotten in Northern Europe, until British architect Robert Adam surveyed it in the 1760s.

Publication of Adam's book on this emperor's retirement palace had a major influence on the development of the craze for Neo-Classical architecture (e.g., Thomas Jefferson's design for the University of Virginia).

Answer under the fold:

Diocletian in 305 A.D., due to a debilitating illness leaving him unable to personally crush military challenges to his rule. (Emperor was a stressful job.)

When begged to return to the throne a few years later, he replied:

"If you could show the cabbage that I planted with my own hands to your emperor, he definitely wouldn't dare suggest that I replace the peace and happiness of this place with the storms of a never-satisfied greed."

He died in 311.

In general, though, Roman Emperors (and Empresses) did not find retirement appealing. When fans of the Blue and Green chariot teams had united and taken control of Constantinople in 532, the Emperor Justinian was about to flee in despair, when his Empress, the former "actress" Theodora, refused to give up her throne, saying "purple makes a fine shroud." Shaming the men, her courage inspired them to come up with a plan for dividing and conquering the sports hooligans, allowing the Byzantine Empire to survive another 921 years.

The child abuse scandal has been roiling for decades, so it's unlikely that it plays any role here.

It's not exactly "child" abuse or pedophilia, it's predatory sex involving young adolescent boys. Boys of the age of, say, boy scouts, which is why it's now so important that we have homosexual scout masters.

Diocletian may have been the first emperor to die in retirement, but Tiberius tried to retire in AD 26. Didn't work out, of course; he felt obligated to return to the job five years later and put his trustee Sejanus to death.

That translation of the words of Diocletian appear all over the internet, but it isn't very accurate. Here's the Latin: Utinam Salonae possetis visere olera nostris manibus instituta, profecto numquam istud temptandum iudicaretis (Epitome de Caesaribus 39.6). After civil war breaks out following Diocletian's abdication, the emperors Maximian and Galerius are said to have asked him to take up the imperial power again, and he's quoted as rejecting the suggestion as madness, adding the words already cited: "If only you could see at Salonae the vegetables I've planted with my own hands. Then you would never think at all that I should try what you suggest!"

Has it occurred to anyone that maybe part of the reason Benedict is retiring now is so that he can have a say in the choice of his successor?

My first thought was that that's a silver lining. It's scary to think of whom the Cardinals might select next (though they did much better than expected with Benedict), so any influence he might have is welcome.

The Romans romanticized retiring, at least in the Republican years. Cincinnatus was made dictator twice, but he resigned on both occasions once the crises had abated. George Washington was likened to him, since Washington turned down the opportunity to be king and retired after his second term as president.

Sulla also retired, though for more hedonistic reasons. Having obtained the title of dictator-for-life, Sulla eventually concluded that power had no more enticements for him, and so spent the last six months of his life partying constantly.

The Romans romanticized retiring, at least in the Republican years. Cincinnatus was made dictator twice, but he resigned on both occasions once the crises had abated. George Washington was likened to him, since Washington turned down the opportunity to be king and retired after his second term as president.

Sulla also retired, though for more hedonistic reasons. Having obtained the title of dictator-for-life, Sulla eventually concluded that power had no more enticements for him, and so spent the last six months of his life partying constantly True, Sulla confronted the young Julius Caesar to divorce his first wife Cornelia since her father was Cinna one of Sulla's eneimes. Tiberius spent time in Capri as mention above until Sejanius was disgrace.

Diocletian. He also shifted the center-of-gravity of the empire to the east, and formalized an eastern style for the imperatorship, wherein the monarch is treated as a remote, almost God-like being, with pomp, and elaborate ceremonial dress, and armies of lackeys.

When the Queen of Netherlands abdicated, she became Princess Beatrix again; when she passes away, however, she will be referred to asQueen Beatrix. The Pope, having abdicated (not resigned - there is no-one for a Pope to offer his resignation to), will not be Pope on this earth (unless bizarrely re-elected) again; letters sent to him in English could possibly be addressed to Benedict, Bishop Emeritus of Rome, or, on a less formal basis, to Cardinal Ratzinger, (he would certainly not be offended if you added a.k.a. (formerly) Pope Benedict XVI.)

Diocletian. He also shifted the center-of-gravity of the empire to the east, and formalized an eastern style for the imperatorship, wherein the monarch is treated as a remote, almost God-like being, with pomp, and elaborate ceremonial dress, and armies of lackeys.

Yes, but at least Diocletian managed to, as we say today, secure the borders, unlike the more enlightened West which fell to barbarian invaders.

"Sulla also retired, though for more hedonistic reasons. Having obtained the title of dictator-for-life, Sulla eventually concluded that power had no more enticements for him, and so spent the last six months of his life partying constantly".

Diocletian. He also shifted the center-of-gravity of the empire to the east, and formalized an eastern style for the imperatorship, wherein the monarch is treated as a remote, almost God-like being, with pomp, and elaborate ceremonial dress, and armies of lackeys. That's waht Procopius complian about in Justinian having people kiss him and Theodora's feet.2/11/13, 8:45 PM

"It's kind of lame that he resigned. Pope should be one of those positions you can't quit while you're still alive."

The Mormon Church does this. The head of the Church remains the prophet until his death. In the case of Ezra Taft Benson, who was prophet for 8 1/2 years from 1985-94, he spent at least half of his tenure as a walking vegetable. They'd occasionally carry him out to events and prop him up for all to see, but you could tell the lights had gone out long ago. His grandson, Steve Benson, a once respectable Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist who went nuts himself, bitterly protested this.

People don't always die quickly or gracefully. They can be in a living death for years. The pope is not a figurehead. He has a billion-plus member church to lead. Let him retire with dignity.

"Diocletian. He also shifted the center-of-gravity of the empire to the east, and formalized an eastern style for the imperatorship, wherein the monarch is treated as a remote, almost God-like being, with pomp, and elaborate ceremonial dress, and armies of lackeys."

On the other hand, people live a long time these days. 85 is a pretty reasonable age to hang it up.

50 years ago and before old age meant knowledge and wisdom. Today it more often means dotage.

Add to this modern medias emphasis on youth and star power; plus knowledge is now often a wikipedia link; and I suspect the trend will be for Popes to step down in favor of a more "rock star" replacement.

When you talk to Catholics who've long since stopped going to mass, sending their kids to Catholic schools, etc. most say it's because the Church (esp. their local church) is too liberal. They say, "Why should I pay extra to send my kid to a Catholic school when they're as bad as the public school in teaching that "liberal crap?"

I had separate conversations yesterday with two such "fallen Catholics."

When you talk to Catholics who've long since stopped going to mass, sending their kids to Catholic schools, etc. most say it's because the Church (esp. their local church) is too liberal. They say, "Why should I pay extra to send my kid to a Catholic school when they're as bad as the public school in teaching that "liberal crap?"

I had separate conversations yesterday with two such "fallen Catholics."

It's a miracle the Byzantines lasted that long. Once Heraclean replaced Latin with Greek as the official language, and the Arab Conquests, the Byzantines reverted into what the Franks called a Greek kingdom. Sure, they could marshal Orthodox non-Greeks into service, but they were plagued with the infighting and treachery Greeks have employed since Achilles mutinied against Agamemnon, lasting to this day, where hardly any Greek will be bothered to pay his taxes.

I knew it was Diocletian. I guess I'm surprised that so many others did too. Smart group, your readers.

The reason Diocletian sticks out is because of the violent fates of all those previous third century emperors. After the stability of the Antonines (ending with Commodus) the next century was disheartening. Diocletian restored some stability.

I just turned 70. 85 seems very, very old to me. People tell me that we are all living longer today. But not really. Life expectancy at birth doesn't mean much to you if you survive childhood. I looked up life expectancy (cohort survival) at age 70. A hundred years ago it was 10 years. Today it's only 13 years.

I don't blame Benedict XVI for relinquishing his position, perhaps he knows that he is starting to have cognitive decline, but I am reminded of John Paul II's incredible bravery is allowing all of us to witness the ravages of his aging, especially since he had such athletic vigor when he started his reign. He reminded us that the comforts of this world, even the sumptuous comforts of the Vatican, are no protection against a humiliating death.

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